If you haven’t read it yet, Stellar have gone to town with their ‘Special Irish Issue’. It’s the kind of thing that makes me proud to be a part (albeit the smallest) of the fashion industry in Ireland. The features range from ‘Sexy has no size’ (where 6 Irish women ‘bare all’ and talk about their body confidence) to ‘Damn she’s got some wicked style’ (a look into the wardrobes of 6 Irish women – More on this later).

Two of my favourite Irish only features in this months issue, are ‘Stellar‘s Little Black Book’ – a guide to eating, drinking and, most importantly, shopping in cities and towns all over Ireland; and ‘There’s no Place like Home’ – a beautiful editorial photoshoot, set against a backdrop of lush green fields; it features only Irish designers & shops. Here’s a couple of shots from the feature:- Including the genius moment that sees model, Blathnaid (Assets) sitting on a stone wall in a Matt Doody dress munching a packet of Tayto.

Back to the wardrobes feature, myself along with 5 other women, including bloggers, Anouska Proetta Brandon and the gorgeous Becky Gray, were chosen to participate in the feature. Here’s my page:

Including such gems as… ‘I can’t live without leather trousers’ and ‘This season I’m loving…‘ I can absolutely confirm that I am perfectly capable of surviving without pleather clothes. As for the ‘I’m Loving… ‘ phrase, I can only apologise profusely and promise to try harder next time… Cringe.

Massive thanks to Stellar Magazine for asking me to come on board. It is amazing to be part of the issue!

That is, I’m in love with fashion that is so creative it blurs the lines between it and art. It’s like an extreme Haute Couture, beautifully and expertly created by exceptionally talented craftsmen, but that brings fashion to a deeper level. So, really what’s not to love?

Right now, it is Roscommon native and Central St. Martin’s graduate, Úna Burke’s latest collection that has my heart a-beating. Made from flesh-coloured leather strips, the collection represents “eight human gestures associated with [different] stages of trauma“. Some of the pieces remind me of medieval torture devices; there are pieces that strap the arms together, and a cage-like effect from the pieces designed to fit the entire torso. Designed around the shapes of the contorted female form, the result are pieces that also have a medical feel; think prosthetics, bandages and braces. Leather covered in brass studs shouldn’t come across as delicate, but the way that the collection has been shown, proves that it can. That is what I find most fascinating about it.

People often say that fashion is fickle and shallow, and in some cases I am inclined to agree. But to say that all fashion is shallow and then to have creative talents like Úna Burke in the industry, is absurd. To me, fashion has always been one of my favourite art mediums; conceptual collection’s like this one are fashion’s answer to Modern Artists, like Gustav Klimt or Marcel Duchamp. Extreme, controversial, beautiful, ugly and absolutely essential.

Head over to Úna Burkes website where there are far more images of this amazing collection.